Collapsible holder



Patented Man zl, 1933 731 UNITED STATES KENNETH E. BREWER AND EVERETT R. BREWER PATENT oFFI'cE KENNETH E. BREWER, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNOR T0 CHAS. A. BREWER &. sons,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. PARTNERSHIP oonsrs'rme 0F NELSON C. BREWER,

GOLLAPSIBLEHOLDER Application filed September 24, 1932. Serial No. 634,709.

This invention relates to collapsible holders or supports for various articles that in use preferably assume a substantially upright or slightly rearwardly inclined position on'atable, counter, or other like support. My invention has been designed more particularly as aconvenient attachment or accessory to game devices commonly known as punch boards, wherein a flat, rectangular board provided with numerous perforations is loaded with concealed slips carrying indicia pertinent to the game, and, in playing the game, these slips are forced out by a suitable punch. Hitherto the board has been held by one hand while the punch was operated by the other. The main object of my invention has been to provide a very simple, inexpensive and convenient collapsible holder or support for the board which will maintain the latter firmly and securely in correct upright position-for efiective display and for punching without requiring to be held by one hand of the operator. Another object has been to provide such a support, the parts of which can be folded or collapsed substantially into the plane of the board itself, so as to occupy a negligible amount of room in the packing and storage of the boards.

One practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing the device in folded or collapsed position on the board.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation, viewed from the right of Fig. 1, and indicating, by dotted lines, the fully extended position of the legs of the holder.

Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation of the device in fully extended or operating position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating a modified form of attaching means.

In the drawing I have illustrated the device of the invention as applied to a punch board of the character described, and referring to the drawing, B may designate the board or other article to be supported which, as shown, is a plain, flat, rectangular structure. To the opposite longitudinal edges of the board B are fitted a pair of channel strips 10, the lower ends of which are substantially co-terminus with the lower end of the board B and, as shown at 10 in Fig. 2, are preferably slightly inclined relatively to the plane of the lower edge of the board so as to be footed squarely on a table, counter, or other support when the board is in the operative position shown in Fig. 3. The strips 10 may be driven onto the edges of the board by a tight friction fit, but preferably they are provided with means for positively attaching them to the board. In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 I have shown small teeth 11 formed 011 the free edges of the flanges of the channel strips which are driven into the board; the strips being made of sufficiently soft metal to permit the flanges-to be first expanded so as to admit the'edge of the board, and then hammered or pressed inwardly, forcing the teeth 11 into the board. As one alternative of this fastening means, I show in Fig. 5 a construction wherein the flanges are apertured to receive fastening.

nails 12.

To the lower ends of the strips 10 are pivotally attached, as by rivets 13, one end of a pair of legs 14. These legs are preferably plain, flat metal strips formed on one edge'thereof with inwardly directed flanges 15. that, as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 3, terminateshort of the pivoted ends of the legs, for a purpose later disclosed.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate'in full lines the fully folded or collapsed position of the holder, wherein it will be seen that the legs14 overlie the strips 10 substantially parallel with the latter, with their flanges 15 overlapping the front flanges of the strips 10 and serving to limit the folding movement of said legs. In this position the parts of the devicelie mainly in the plane of the board itself increasing but very slightly the total ion then rearwardly and upwardly (as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2) to the service position shown in Fig. 3, wherein it will be seen that the legs 14 rest lengthwise by their lower edges on the supporting surface, such as a table, counter or the like, and the ends15 of the flanges 15 of the legs come into contact with the rear edges of the strips 10 and cooperate with the latter in forming positivestops to hold the board B in substantialy upright position and prevent it from falling rearwardly by gravity or under the slight pressure involved in punching out the slips from the board. 1 p

Although I have illustrated the device as an accessory in the nature of a holder or support for punch boards, and contemplate that such will be its principal use, it is manifest that the same device may well serve as a collapsible holder or support for other more or less analogous articles, such as picture frames easels, advertising signs, packing and vending boxes and cartons, and many other articles of like character which, in use, are conveniently displayed in an upright or slightly rearwardly inclined position. Manifestly, also, the structural details herein shown and described may be considerably modified without departing from the principle, or sacrificing any of the advantages, of the invention; and hence, I do not limit the invention to the particular embodiment presented for purposes of illustration but reserve all such variations, modifications and equivalents as fall v within the spirit and purview of the claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible holder of the character described, comprising a pair of strips adapted to overlie opposite edges of an article to be held, means for attaching said strips to said article, and a pair of legs pivoted at one end thereof to the lower end portions of said strips and adapted to swing between a folded position overlying and substantially parallel with said strips and an extended position wherein they are adapted to rest lengthwise on a table, counter, or other like support; said legs formed with stops cooperating with said strips to maintain the article in substantially upright position.

2. A collapsible holder of the character described, comprising a pair of channel strips adapted to embrace opposite edges of an article to be held, and a pair of legs pivoted at one end thereof to the lower end portions of said strips and adapted to swing between a folded position overlying and substantially parallel with said strips and an extended position wherein they are adapted to rest by their lower edges on a table, counter or other like support; said legs formed on their upper edges with stops cooperating with said strips to maintain the article in substantially upright position.

3. A collapsible holder of the character described, comprising a pair of channel strips adapted to embrace opposite edges of an article to be held and formed with integral teeth adapted to be driven into said article to attach said strips to the latter, and a pair of legs pivoted at one end thereof to the lower end portions of said strips and adapted to swing between a folded position overlying and substantially parallel with said strips and an extended position wherein they are adapted to rest lengthwise on a table, counter, or other like support.

4. A collapsible holder of the character described, comprising a pair of strips adapted to overlie opposite edges of an article to be held, means for attaching said strips to said article, and a pair of legs pivoted at one end thereof to the lower end portions of said strips and adapted to swing between a folded position overlying and substantially parallel with said strips and an extended position wherein they are adapted to rest by their lower edges on a table, counter, or other like support; said legs formed on their upper edges with inwardly directed flanges terminating short of the pivoted ends of said legs, said flanges serving to limit the folding movement of said legs, and the ends of said flanges nearest the pivots cooperating with said strips as stops to maintain the article in substantially upright position.

KENNETH E. BREWER. 

